SAve the Date!
Join us for the annual 2024 MOLAA Gala & Auction!
This year the theme is “REIMAGINING MOLAA” and it will take place on Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 6:00 PM in MOLAA.
For table sales or sponsorship opportunities, please email gala@molaa.org.
Hosted by
Robert N. Braun, MD and Marianne Gastelum, 2024 MOLAA Gala Co-Chairs
The MOLAA Board of Directors
Lourdes I. Ramos, Ph.D., President & CEO
LEGADO AWARD HONOREES
US Sen. Alex Padilla
U.S. Senator Alex Padilla - Leadership
Senator Alex Padilla, a progressive problem-solver, is the first Latino elected to represent California in the U.S. Senate. The son of immigrants, Padilla grew up in the San Fernando Valley and studied Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was drawn to politics in response to California’s anti-immigrant Proposition 187. Padilla was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 1999 and the State Senate in 2006. As California’s Secretary of State, he oversaw a historic expansion of voting rights and voter participation. As United States Senator, Padilla has taken action to cut costs for families, combat the climate crisis, and help thousands of Californians secure millions of dollars owed to them by federal agencies. Padilla currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety. He is a member of the Senate Committees on Budget; Environment and Public Works; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; Judiciary; and Rules. Padilla lives in the San Fernando Valley with his wife, Angela, and their three sons, Roman, Alex and Diego.
Adán Ortega, Jr.
Adán Ortega, Jr. - Community Commitment
In January 2023, Adán Ortega, Jr. was sworn in as the 20th chair of Metropolitan’s Board of Directors, quickly organizing the board to meet the challenge of adapting to climate change, including appointing a vice chair for climate action, which oversees a portfolio of committees that address climate change. He spearheaded the launch of the Climate Adaptation Master Plan for Water process, which included member agency officials at multiple levels of planning. Ortega also reaffirmed Metropolitan’s commitment by reinvigorating interactions with regional agencies, farmers, tribal leaders, and environmental advocates in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and with water users across the Colorado River Basin, through highly engaged board ad-hoc committees. He is the first Latino to lead our board in the district’s 95-year history and the first to appoint a large majority of women to the Board’s Executive Committee. Ortega started a governmental relations firm in 2009 and was instrumental in the foundation of a statewide advocacy organization dedicated to water systems serving California’s smaller, older, and poorest communities. He is a former member of the California Water Commission and the California State Board of Food and Agriculture.
Valerie, Rebecca, and Gina Zapanta.
The Zapanta Family - Philanthropy in the Arts
Dr. Richard and Rebecca Zapanta started their collection of Mexican art over 30 years ago. True to their roots, they have long been committed to the cause of education and the arts in the Hispanic community. This is a tradition that continues through multiple generations of the Zapanta family, including their daughters Gina and Valerie Zapanta. The Zapanta Collection includes works by several generations of modern Mexican artists and provides an overview of important artistic styles and an in-depth consideration of poignant themes, political events, and social narratives that informed their creative output. Dr. Richard Zapanta was a fourth-generation Mexican American whose collecting was a way to reconnect with his cultural roots. The collection has always been the focal point and foundation of the Zapanta family, emphasizing the importance of their Mexican roots. The collection has been shared with numerous philanthropic, political, and educational events and organizations, welcoming the public to view and learn about different aspects of Mexican history and culture.
The Gala Committee
Robert N. Braun, M.D., Co-Chair
Marianne Gastelum, Co-Chair
Tiffany L. Barbara
Steve Caloca
Andrew Demming
Mike Deovlet
MIldred García, PhD
Mercedes Gertz, Ph.D.
Steve Goodling
Leah Goold Haws
Andrea Laffitte
Kiki Lizarraga
Dr. Mike Muñoz
Carmen O. Perez
George L. Pla
Lourdes I. Ramos, Ph.D.
Sofia Riley
Mónica Gutiérrez Roper
Maria S. Salinas
Mark Taylor
Aida Velasco
Paula-Rose Wihongi
MOLAA Board of Directors
Robert N. Braun, M.D., Co-Chair
Mike Deovlet, Co-Chair
Sofia Riley, Vice-Chair
Zach Horowitz, Secretary
Tim Degani, Treasurer
Tiffany L. Barbara
Mario Cordero
Celia S. de Birbragher
Cástulo de la Rocha
Marianne Gastelum
Burke Gumbiner
Vanessa M. Haberbush, Esq.
Lisa Milton
Lynne Okon Scholnick
Mark Taylor
Paula-Rose Wihongi
SPONSORS
VISIONARY SPONSORSHIP
Robert Gumbiner Foundation
Air Products
Altamed
TGIS
US Bank
CHAMPION SPONSORSHIP
Dr. Joan A. Friedman & Dr. Robert N. Braun, M.D.
BUILDER SPONSORSHIP
California Domestic Water Company
California Resources Corporation
Cordoba Corporation
CA State University
Gardiner & Theobald
Marianne & Ron Gastelum
The Port of Long Beach
San Gorgonio Water Pass Agency
Zach Horowitz
PATRON SPONSORSHIP
Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo Law
Central Basin Municipal Water District
Eastern Municipal Water District
Empowered by Gina
Inland Empire Utilitis Agency
Marylyn & Chuck Klaus
Las Virgenes Municipal Water District
Long Beach Business Development
Long Beach City College
Metropolitan Water District of So. CA
TELACU
The Queen Mary
Visit Long Beach
Water Replenishment District
Z.A. Lawyers
AMBASSADOR SPONSORSHIP
ABC 7
Bank of America
Hyundai Motor America
International City Bank
St. Mary Medical Center Foundation
Verizon